A/N: HOLY SHIT I'M SO SORRY

I absolutely HATE when I take those gaps. Luckily, summer is coming up which means I will have time to write between my internships!

But for now, I'll try to make it up with some fluffy content in this chapter! You've all been so patient with me, and those of you who stayed will be rewarded with a super surprise next chapter! Yay!

Without further adieu...

Enjoy!

Ichigo had been patiently waiting for Shiro to come back. It had been days, a few weeks even, but that didn't sway the teen from his mission. He'd wait as long as it took for his best friend to come back. Grimmjow had tried to talk to him, but he was waved off every time, the redhead convinced that Shiro left because of the two fooling around.

Why is this kid so damn stubborn? Grimmjow asked himself every time he called the ginger to see if he wanted to hang out.

He'd get the same answer: "No. I gotta wait for Shiro to get home."

It was like the damn boy had been brainwashed! As if Shiro would come back anytime soon! The albino was probably halfway around the world or something. If he were to come back, it'd would surely be a while from now. After what happened, he'd most likely need lots of time to cool down, considering how much of a hothead he was. Grimmjow kind of understood, him being the source of his anger anyway. Still...he was convinced that Ichigo should be his fully now. But the boy was set on waiting for his friend to return. If only he could find a way to convince Ichigo that he should be with Grimmjow... As the blunette sat on his couch, concentrated in deep thought, Starrk walked in, his hair messy from sleep.

"Hey," he greeted his younger brother in a groggy voice.

"Mm," he returned with a grunt.

"What's got you all contemplate-y this morning? Never seen you think that hard before," Starrk teased as he opened the refrigerator to pour some orange juice.

Grimmjow glared at him before letting out a sigh. "I can't get Ichigo ta like me...or hang out with me at least. I think he hates me."

"Well, that's obviously not true, Mr. Melodramatic. He's just...preoccupied is all. Shiro still missing?"

"He's probably never gonna come back, I'm tellin' ya. But Ichigo won't let it go. He's bent on waitin' out until he dies!" Grimmjow was starting to get irritated.

"Hmm...Seems to me like he just has the Day-After-Breakup syndrome. He needs to air out all those bad vibes he's been wallowing in for the past few days," the brunette suggested as he searched through the fridge for something suitable to eat.

"Well, how do I get him to get out?"

Starrk just turned to his brother and shrugged, not sure what answer to give him. He felt his stomach rumble before he closed the refrigerator.

"We need to go grocery shopping," he said, his voice filled with annoyance at being hungry. He turned to the refrigerator door and glanced at the calendar. The day was circled multiple times and had small words scribbled into it. "Hey..." he squinted. "Is today Ichigo's birthday?"

As this, Grimmjow perked up before jumping off the couch and running up the stairs to get dressed. He jumped back down the stairs and grabbed his keys. "Starrk, you're a genius!" He shouted as he ran out the door as quickly as he could.

Grimmjow sped out of the driveway and it was obvious that he was excited. In no time, he pulled up to Ichigo's apartment, taking a few minutes to fix his hair which decided to be difficult this morning. Inside, Ichigo was asleep at the table, his arms covering his phone which rested beneath him. He'd heard the knock in his sleep, and thought it was his imagination. But when the second series of knocks came, the ginger bounced to his feet and almost sprinted to the door. His heart filled with potential joy at the possibility of Shiro being behind that door. He opened it, and the smile and hope on his face dissipated immediately. Grimmjow saw this, and it made him insanely angry. Not at Ichigo, but at the fact that he knew what Ichigo had thought.

"Grimmjow..." He wasn't Shiro, and the kid was disappointed.

Fuck this, he thought in annoyance, ready to turn around and leave.

But his eyes were transfixed on the sight before him. Even in baggy, loose fitting pajamas, his hair disheveled, and sleeping welts etched into his face, Ichigo looked absolutely cute. Maybe it was a weird thing he'd developed only for the ginger, because usually if he saw someone else with pajamas on this late in the morning, he'd cringe in disgust. But right now, it took all his might not to jump the kid right now. The blunette realized how long he'd been standing there without saying a word when Ichigo cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Uh, hey...you..." He spoke in a rickety voice.

'Hey you?' Fucking idiot, the older man mentally cursed himself.

"Um...hi." Another awkward silence. "So, was there any reason you're here?" Ichigo asked, hoping that didn't sound rude.

It didn't to Grimmjow, and he replied immediately. "Oh, oh, well I came ta see how you were doing...Since it's your birthday and all, I thought maybe you'd wanna go out. Like, hang out, I mean. Not like go out like on a date or anything. Well, I mean unless ya want that, then I—"

"Look, Grimmjow," the redhead interrupted his flustered ramblings. The older man internally thanked him for it. "I get what you're trying to do, and I appreciate that, but I just don't have the time. Shiro could come back any minute now. And I have to be here when he does. Besides, my birthday isn't until tomorrow."

Grimmjow was about to get pissy as soon as he mentioned Shiro, but he forgot about that when he heard the last thing Ichigo said.

"Wait," he opened the calendar on his phone and raised an eyebrow. "Ichigo your birthday is definitely today." He held the phone up to the younger so he could see.

"Hold on, it's Thursday, right?" Ichigo asked in confusion. Grimmjow shook his head.

"Nope. It's Friday. Happy Birthday, kid."

The blunette took advantage of the confused teen to wrap him in a tight hug, purposefully flexing the muscles in his arms and abdomen. Ichigo quietly gasped and almost dropped Grimmjow's phone. Being surrounded by all that heat and muscle made his eyelids flutter and his nerves tingle. And, oh, that Grimmjow-y smell he never realized he'd missed invaded his nose and almost turned him to jelly. The older man pulled back and almost smirked at the pink-tinted flesh he'd caused. Ichigo fought to compose himself before speaking.

"T-Thanks. But I still need to wait for Shiro. Maybe some other time?"

"No," Grimmjow replied, an entirely serious expression on his face.

"What?"

"No."

"...I don't—" Ichigo questioned.

"I'm not waitin' and you're not gonna stay here all day. Your birthday is today, not tomorrow, or yesterday, so I'm takin' ya out. And I ain't waitin' another 364 days for this." He pushed his way in the door and dragged Ichigo along with him.

"Hey!" The teen protested as he was shoved into his bathroom.

"Take a shower and I'll find ya something ta wear."

Ichigo sighed but did not protest anymore and began to take off his shirt, forgetting that the blunette was still at the door and hadn't closed it yet. Grimmjow gulped when he saw the small muscles move under the tight skin in a way that almost made him groan out loud. He knew the sickly pale color of his skin was due to exhaustion, but it didn't matter. Ichigo was still in perfect shape. The teen let his sweatpants fall to the floor then bent over to pull them off his feet. This gave Grimmjow a view of the boxer briefs he wore. They were dark blue, and hugged his ass perfectly. The older man thought it might not be real as he moved about in the bathroom to turn on the shower, hips swaying and the show stirring something in Grimmjow's pants. He couldn't help but notice how small Ichigo's body was, but in the best possible way. He was lean but musclular, a curve resting in the middle of his body. And his ass had to be better than any woman's he'd ever seen. Even his face had soft features but they were masculine at the same time. The only tell that proved he wasn't a girl was his flat chest and, of course, the bulge in his underwear.

As he moved to take those off too, Grimmjow saw a peek of his rear before he closed the door as softly as possible. He'd seen enough, anymore and he would have jumped in that shower with him. With a calming sigh, he willed away his growing erection and walked to Ichigo's room. He knew he'd have to keep himself in check if he wanted to stay on good terms with Ichigo. The teen was still sensitive about the whole kissing thing and Grimmjow didn't want him to think he was only there for that. He wanted to prove that he could be a good friend, too. Which was why he pulled out his phone and called Starrk.

"Hey, we don't have any plans today, right?" He asked as he searched the ginger's closet.

"Just that meeting later on. But until then you're free."

"Great. Thanks, Starrk. Oh, and would ya happen ta have any suggestions for fun on a birthday?" He smiled at the sound of Starrk's sigh on the other end.

"Just like you to go into something like this blind," he said.

"Ya know me all too well," he replied playfully.

"I'll text you idea's later. Let me sleep for a few more minutes."

"Okay, lazy, but I'm countin' on ya. Text me as soon as possible!" Grimmjow pleaded and hung up.

With a sigh he kept searching for something for the kid to wear. He pulled out a white shirt with a purple paint splatter on it with the word "renegade" in black letters and a gray one with a zombified Mickey Mouse on it. A few more caught his eye, a dark blue one with The Rolling Stones logo on it, a plain fitted dark purple one, and a yellow and gray plaid button down. The blunette laid them all out to be judged by the teen when he go out of the shower. Now to find some pants for him. Unfortunately, Grimmjow hated every pair of pants Ichigo owned. He'd rummaged through every drawer looking for a good pair until he stopped. He held them up as a sly smirk grew on his face.

These are perfect, he thought.

A few minutes passed before Grimmjow heard the shower turn off and the pitter-patter of wet feet approaching the room he was currently in. When the door slid open, Grimmjow couldn't help but let out a quiet groan of approval. The sight of Ichigo soaking wet with nothing but a towel on made him stiffen up a bit. He stepped back as the teen walked forward towards the clothes laid out for him.

"I'll be out in a minute," he informed the older man. Grimmjow nodded before backing out of the room. When more that a few minutes passed, the rockstar grew impatient.

"Hey, kid, you alright in there?" He asked with a knock.

"Yeah, but could you help me for a second?" Ichigo's voice sounded strained, so Grimmjow went right in.

Ichigo was on the floor, his knees supporting him as his torso bent over the bed. The older man was confused until he glanced at what the teen was grasping at. His hands scrambled for the hem of the tight, dark blue jeans he was trying to put on. They seemed too small for him, as half of his ass remained uncovered. Grimmjow was immediately aroused, the scene looking like he was trying to undress himself instead.

It's too early for this shit, the man thought.

"Kid, what tha hell?" He asked. "Are those too small?" Part of him hoped they weren't, his plan being to have Ichigo in the tightest pants he could find.

"No, I can fit them, but they're really hard to get into. I never wear them unless my friends take me to a club or something." He groaned as he yanked them again, shaking his butt a bit. "Could you help me?"

"Uh...sure." Grimmjow walked over then leaned over Ichigo and grabbed the belt loops on his jeans. He yanked and shimmied them as much as he could, but they just wouldn't come up. "Stand up for a minute." Ichigo did as told and the blunette pushed him back all the way until his door it shut. The teen gulped a bit and looked into Grimmjow's eyes. They were glazed over with something familiar, but he couldn't place it. "See? It's better if you stand up." Grimmjow said as he grabbed the loops again and yanked them up. This time they came up a lot, but the price paid was both of their crotches rubbing against each other. The redhead felt it and gasped and could feel his face warm. He felt a small bit of heat pump into his already constricting pants and he clenched his jaw to block any noise that might come. Grimmjow yanked him up again and again, unintentionally causing lots friction between them. Ichigo was quiet the whole time until he had to bite his lip because he let out a small moan. "There."

He hadn't noticed Grimmjow was done until he'd said something. Ichigo zipped up the jeans and buttoned them before walking to his mirror. Grimmjow watched as his ass seemed to become even more perfect with those tight jeans on.

"T-Thanks..." Ichigo said awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head, hoping the tone couldn't be noticed.

"No problem. So, ya ready ta go?" He asked eagerly. Ichigo nodded before grabbing his plaid shirt/jacket to keep him warm if they were to be out tonight.

They headed out to the car and Grimmjow started the engine. He'd been waiting for Starrk to text him because he needed ideas for things to do on Ichigo's birthday. He drove slowly at first, trying to give his older brother a little more time to come through for him.

"So where are we going?" Ichigo asked, wondering why they were moving so slow. He had first hand seen how fast Grimmjow drove, and this was little more than a snail's pace.

"Uh..." Suddenly his phone buzzed and he grabbed it swiftly.

Start with lunch? The text read. A smirk grew on the rockstar's face due to relief and excitement.

"Ya hungry?" Ichigo just shrugged, but Grimmjow could tell he was by how frail his frame had become and the loud grumble from Ichigo's stomach as soon as he asked. This made the teen laugh.

"I guess I am. Where are you taking me?"

"The perfect spot."

Which turned out to be a slightly raggedy diner on the south side of town. When they sat down, Ichigo sat awkwardly in his chair, as if he didn't want to be there. This hurt Grimmjow a little, but he was determined to make this day special for the kid.

"So. Eighteen. How's it feel?" He asked to start conversation.

"A little different this time around, I guess," Ichigo said with a shrug.

"Well, at least there are no more restraints. Get to make your own choices, yeah?" Ichigo just answered with a shrug again.

The waitress came over and stood in front of their table.

"Welcome to Urahara's. May I—" She stopped, her eyes moving to Grimmjow. Her eyes widened and she gasped, air rushing in and out of her mouth as if she suddenly grew gills. "Oh my God..."

"Please don't," Grimmjow said with a roll of his eyes.

Ichigo caught this and felt his chest tighten for some reason. It seemed like Grimmjow hated his fame right now, which was strange, because it was Grimmjow.

"I'm sorry, I just—"

"'Love me.' Yeah, I get it." A silence grew before she spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me," the waitress said in a sincere voice. She seemed crushed. "Can I take your order?"

"Yeah, just tell Kisuke ta send out two 'Blue Tangs,'" Grimmjow ordered.

"Of course. And you, sir?"

"Um, I'll just take the seafood Alfredo," Ichigo said.

"Coming right up!" She set two waters down then rushed away, and as soon as she entered the kitchen squeals could be heard throughout the restaurant.

"Hey, Grimm?" Ichigo called.

"Hm?" Grimmjow answered quickly, calming his nerves from his nickname being used by the ginger.

"Why were you so mean to that girl? She didn't do anything to you."

"Yes, she did. She made me uncomfortable." He picked at the ice from his water.

"But she didn't mean to."

"Doesn't matter. I'm sick of that happenin'. I can never just go out and have a normal day anymore. I can't even have fun bein' out with ya. And I really want to." His eyes flickered to Ichigo for a moment before returning to the ice. This made Ichigo stiffen and blush but he calmed down.

"Well, you're famous. You can't really have a normal day without people bothering you at least once," he offered his opinion.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wanted ta have fun with ya, that's all. I want you ta have a good time with me."

"I will," Ichigo said with a smile. "I am." He corrected himself, causing Grimmjow to smile back before the waitress came running.

"Here are your orders. One seafood Alfredo and two fried pb&j's." Before she walked off, Grimmjow slipped a large tip in her pocket, silently apologizing for his rude behavior earlier. She looked at it and smiled graciously.

"Ew, what?" Ichigo snorted a laugh and picked up his menu. "Is that really on here?"

"Ew, huh?" The blunette smirked. He shoved the fried sandwich in the teens mouth and watched him choke on it before chewing. His face made several different expressions before he went wide-eyed.

"Oh my God. What even is this?"

"That, my dear friend, is the 'Blue Tang.' I've known the owner of this place for years, so he named this after me. Since it's my favorite snack and all," the blunette said and grinned triumphantly.

"Well it's fucking good. Can I have another bite?" Ichigo asked eagerly. When the older man nodded, he reached over and tore a small piece from the sandwich. For the rest of the time they were there, Ichigo asked for piece after piece, eating more of Grimmjow's food than his own, but the rockstar could care less. He was just glad Ichigo was having a good time. Eventually, the teen leaned back in his chair and held his stomach. "Man, I'm stuffed."

"Kid, ya barely touched your food." Grimmjow pointed out the plate of pasta that only had a few bites missing. "Well, ya did eat my whole order."

"Sorry." He blushed.

"S'okay." Grimmjow's phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked at it and there was another text from Starrk.

You can make goo goo eyes at Ichigo later. You NEED to be here.

Grimmjow had totally forgotten about the gathering at Aizen's house. He looked up at the boy mentioned in the text. The bluenette sighed and ran his long fingers through his hair. Ichigo became concerned as he looked up from the empty plate and saw the distraught expression.

"Something wrong?"

Grimmjow's lips formed a tight line. "I'm fine," he announced as he rose from his chair. "Starrk just reminded me of something I gotta take care of." He tried his best to avoid those big, brown eyes. "Look, I'm really sorry, but do ya think you could tag along with me somewhere real quick?" The blunette left money on the table.

"Uh, sure," he answered confused. "Where?" Ichigo got out of his chair and followed him out of the restaurant.

"I have ta go meet this guy at his house. It's for this whole photo shoot thing. It won't take long."

"Okay."

On the way there, Grimmjow constantly apologized to Ichigo about having to go to a meeting on his birthday but the younger just brushed it off. When they arrived at the larger house, Ichigo voiced that he just wanted to stay in the car. Grimmjow wouldn't have it, so the teen had no choice but to get out. Inside, people were just standing around mingling, but it was still a huge crowd. Light music played as the well dressed guests laughed and toasted their glasses. Ichigo immediately felt self-conscious and underdressed. He stuck close to the older man, following him around before bumping into his back.

"Szayel!" He shouted. A pink-haired man approached them and shook Grimmjow's hand with a smile.

"Thank God you made it," he spoke and fixed his glasses. His eyes drifted to Ichigo, who immediately tinted. "And this is?..."

"Ichigo. He came with us ta Aizen's office before," Grimmjow informed him.

"Right...Maybe he should stay here. You know how my brother is about strangers." He gave Ichigo a once over, and didn't look very pleased.

"Well, I don't wanna leave him alone. It's his birthday, man," Grimmjow voiced his displeasure in leaving Ichigo's side.

"Oh, c'mon. He can hang with Starrk or something." He gestured for Grimmjow to follow him and the blunette obliged.

"I promise I'll be right back. Grab yourself somethin' ta eat." The rockstar said then disappeared up the stairs and deeper into the house.

Ichigo was left alone near the staircase as he looked around. Part of him hoped he'd see someone he knew, but there was a slim chance of that, everyone here being older and more physically attractive than he was. He decided to keep moving so that it wouldn't be blatantly obvious that he didn't belong there. In the kitchen, he was slightly delighted to see the familiar face of Ulquiorra. He was by the drink table, a very uncomfortable look on his face(more so that usual). The teen decided to greet him but stopped when he noticed another familiar face. Aizen was standing very close to him, his hand on Ulquiorra's shoulder and his mouth practically on his ear. Ichigo was going to keep moving elsewhere, but something seemed off. And he wanted to investigate.

"Hello, Ulquiorra, Aizen," he spoke politely. Ulquiorra shifted away from the brunette and swallowed.

"Ichigo," Aizen responded. "What a surprise." A smile grew on his face as his hand slid off of Ulquiorra's shoulder. "Me and Ulquiorra were just discussing the importance of sacrifice. You know, putting those you care about before yourself, and all that."

"Right..." Ichigo felt an extremely ominous presence in this space and decided to speak up again. "Hey, would either of you happen to know where Starrk is?"

"Of course. He—"

"I-I'll take you to him," Ulquiorra swiftly cut Aizen off and pulled Ichigo from the kitchen.

"Remember what we talked about, Ulquiorra!" The host called from behind them.

Ichigo could feel a chill run through Ulquiorra and into him, but he assumed it was just his imagination. When they reached the patio, Starrk was just in sight. He was sitting on a bench, a bunch of girls giggling around him. Ulquiorra's grip tightened as he and Ichigo approached him. The large brunette let out a lazy laugh before spotting them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He asked.

"I think we just needed a familiar face to be around," Ichigo spoke truthfully. He couldn't find himself ever lying to Starrk.

"Speak for yourself," Ulquiorra mumbled.

Starrk looked into his bandmate's eyes and his brow furrowed a bit. "'Scuse me." He stood and led Ulquiorra away from the crowd, saying something low in his ear.

Ichigo just took Starrk's old seat on the bench. He looked around at all the guests and couldn't help but feel a little lonely. This was his birthday. He shouldn't have to feel this way, right? Inside the house, Grimmjow was taking the shirtless photos for his shoot. When he was tired, the crew called for a break and he stood over by the window. The man looked down to see the patio and all of Aizen's guests. He immediately spotted Ichigo's bright orange hair, noticing the teen sitting on the bench by himself. He had his chin resting on his palm and didn't look too pleased. Grimmjow felt something squeeze in his chest. He knew what was wrong, so without hesitation, he made his way outside. Ichigo looked up when the sun was blocked from his eyes.

"Hey," Grimmjow said with a grin. He was currently buttoning up his shirt which caught Ichigo a little off guard.

"H-Hey," he replied back.

"Ya ready ta get out of here?"

"Did you finish your photo shoot?"

"Nah, but who cares? I can do that any time. Today's all about you and I have another great place ta take ya." The blunette pulled Ichigo up and urged him to follow. "Now we gotta be careful. If Szayel finds out I ditched him, there's gonna be he'll for me ta pay." It was just then that the pink-haired assistant spotted the two from the window.

"Grimmjow! Don't you dare!"

"Run."

The two of them ran off towards Grimmjow's car, full of laughter and amusement. When they reached the vehicle parked out front, Grimmjow revved up the engine then tore off when Ichigo got in. Now they were en route to the next destination for Ichigo's birthday.

My, this was one of the fluffiest chapters I've ever written! It's not quite a filler, but it would have been well on it's way if I hadn't cut it off, so that may be why the ending seemed so abrupt.

Finally! The moment of truth is here! All I'll say is bring an extra set of undies because next chapter is going to be filled with the sexy times we've all been waiting for!

Also, I know I shouldn't but I'm starting a few new stories after I finish this one as well as This Won't Fix Me. It''ll be before the school year ends just to give everyone a peak at my summer projects! :D Bleach pairings include: ShiroIchi, KenShuu, ByakuRen, and many more!

Keep an eye out if you want to read them!

R&R!

~EMAE